ATTN: All Bands

If you are in a band, we want to interview you. We have compiled a generic list of 20 questions that we would like you to answer if you're in a band, no matter how big or small. Please check the replies for more info. Users, if you would like to post extra questions that you would like to see answered in general from any band, please feel free to add them in the replies.

The idea is to answer all of these questions to the best of your ability with as much detail as you want to put in. Feel free to answer any other questions that users may have later in the replies or to add any questions that you feel would be pertinent/fun for users. Please send all completed interviews to reviews@absolutepunk.net with "random interview" in the subject line.

______________ (Band name)

______________ (website links, as many as you want to include)

1. How did you get your band name?

2. How did this band get started?

3. What bands are you influenced by?

4. If you could tour with any bands, past or present, who would they be and why?

5. Best food to eat on tour?

6. Why should people listen to your band?

7. If you could be any athlete, which athlete would you switch places with?

8. If you won a Grammy, who would you thank?

9. If you could change something about the music industry, what would it be?

10. Memorable tour experience?

11. What does AP.net mean to you?

12. What is your favorite song to play?

13. What is your vacation spot of choice?

14. What music reminds you of your childhood?

15. If you could have any super power, what would it be? Why?

16. Any pre-show superstitions or rituals?

17. What is something that most fans don't know about you?

18. What is your assessment of the current state of radio? Do you think it's a place where your band could flourish?

1. How did you get your band name?I got "Stealing First" from watching my friend steal first and knock out his tooth...He was out too.

2. How did this band get started?I started out by recording a song that my friend from question 1 heard and wanted me to record more. I wrote lyrics about inside jokes my friends and I had.

3. What bands are you influenced by?It started out with the standard Blink 182 influence. Most recently: Say anything, NFG and Set Your Goals.

4. If you could tour with any bands, past or present, who would it be and why?The Movielife, Acceptance, and Midtown. It would be tight to be part of a reunion tour ;)

5. If you were a furry, what animal would you be? Why that animal?wat

6. Why should people listen to your band?You shouldn't

7. If you were chosen to be in Guitar Hero/Rock Band, what song would you want in the game? How hard do you think it would be to five-star on expert?"It's 11:11 and I wish that you would shut the fuck up"...Not hard at all

8. If you won a Grammy, who would you thank? everyone but the people who had an impact on my life

9. If you could change something about the music industry, what would it be?destroy autotune dead

10. Memorable tour experience?n/a

11. What does AP.net mean to you?It's a good place to go and talk shit about "band X" and then another member who is a fan of "band x" attacks your avatar because that's all they know about you.

12. What is your favorite song to play?"wake me when ur get home" it's like 3 chords and a fun rhythm

13. What is your vacation spot of choice?Jason Tate's mom's bed

14. What music reminds you of your childhood?Third Eye Blind

15. If you could have any super power, what would it be? Why?To destroy auto-tune dead

16. Do you feel that your band has "made it"?hell yeah. If by "made it" you mean not making it at all

17. What is something that most fans don't know about you?I'm lactose intolerant

19. What do you like to do in your spare time?Pretend I'm doing something with my life

20. What kind of hidden talents do you have? I can remember the most specific details about the most random shit in the world. Go ahead and ask me what shirt the cabby was wearing this time my friend and I went downtown and barely glanced in the cab as it drove by. It was fucking maroon.

4. If you could tour with any bands, past or present, who would it be and why?
The same ones I listed before, of course! :P

5. If you were a furry, what animal would you be? Why that animal?
I would be ferret that could fly…

6. Why should people listen to your band?
HeyHiHello is music that is cheery and soulful- with electronic beeps and pulses… hopefully it puts you in a good mood!

7. If you were chosen to be in Guitar Hero/Rock Band, what song would you want in the game? How hard do you think it would be to five-star on expert?
I doubt my tunes would be very good in a Rock game :P

8. If you won a Grammy, who would you thank?
I would have to thank the schemers and blackmailers who got me in! :)

9. If you could change something about the music industry, what would it be?
How record labels view publishing, sadly.

1. How did you get your band name? We had been named Middle Name Danger. It wasn’t until a few months later we came across fellow Chicago band, Danger is My Middle Name. We felt, there was only enough room for one “Middle Name” band so we decided on a name change. After throwing around a lot of band names, 99% of them being jokes and not at all productive to the cause (Melon Pypher, Spice Boys, etc) we decided on Plan Into Action. It had a positive connotation to it and we’re a positive band. We felt it was appropriate and there wasn't 12 pages of other bands on myspace with the same name.

2. How did this band get started? Tom, Keenan and I met in middle school and started playing together with an additional member at the time. We were all into heavier stuff at the time and were covering stuff like Korn, System of a Down and Three Days Grace, haha. Our tastes shifted and in turn the music reflected that. Phil then joined the band and we've been cruising ever since.

3. What bands are you influenced by? Here’s a list of bands in on particular order that at least one of us, if not all, is into: Brand New, Cartel, Blink 182, Goldfinger, The Used, The Early November, Ace Enders, Northstar, Cassino, Say Anything, The Fall of Troy, Ben Folds Five, The Graduate, Weezer, Reel Big Fish, Sigur Ros, Third Eye Blind, GY!BE, The Format, Foxy Shazam, Gatsbys American Dream, John Mayer, Manchester Orchestra, Maps and Atlases, etc. Kind ofall over the place. We definitely believe in listening to everything and not living in the confines of a strict pop rock diet.

4. If you could tour with any bands, past or present, who would it be and why? We would definitely want to resurrect bands. So, Blink 182, cause who wouldn’t want to see them reunite. Hot Rod Circuit because we bailed on seeing their last performance due to bad weather for a 10 hour drive. Then The Early November and Northstar. If we weren’t playing in this hypothetical show I think we would empty our savings and checkings account to go if needed.

5. If you were a furry, what animal would you be? Why that animal? Certainly not a Bunny because Tom and Keenan chase them around with blow dart guns. And definitely not a deer. Koala. Definitely. A Koala with a British accent, just to really throw everyone off.

6. Why should people listen to your band? Because every band getting out there and making music deserves at least one listen from you, the listener. It’s one thing to listen to us and not like us, we completely respect everyone’s personal opinions. As long as they’ve heard our music to come to that conclusion. We want to get our music into the hands of as many people as possible and with our new EP being free to download, that helps make that possible.Also, we aren’t a trend band. We don’t wear eyeliner, we don’t think we’re from the 80’s, our vocals aren’t saturated in autotune, and we don’t chug open D chords….not that there’s anything wrong with that? (Oh yeah, and cause we love Seinfeld.)

7. If you were chosen to be in Guitar Hero/Rock Band, what song would you want in the game? How hard do you think it would be to five-star on expert? Oh man…probably our song “Somebody Had to Say It” off our most recent EP, Serenity Now. And it wouldn’t be that difficult to five star on expert, haha. Maybe if there’s some awkward 3 finger chords strung together but other than that it’s not a “shredding” song, we’re not really a shredding band. We do try to challenge ourselves by bring different elements to the table; switching up structure, experimenting with time signatures, different keys etc. There’s a little of that in this song but nothing that will lead to guitar hero failure.

8. If you won a Grammy, who would you thank? The National Academy of Recording Arts and Science, haha. Also, the creator of Slurpess and the fast food restaurant Sonic.

9. If you could change something about the music industry, what would it be? There’s so many different ways to approach that it’s hard to side one way. I guess, the stranglehold some labels have on the bands. Also, the unfortunate distribution of royalties and the sad realization that even bands we look up to struggle with making enough money in the business.

10. Memorable tour experience? Not necessarily a tour. But a show at our high school – I think that’s the most action our schools cafeteria has, and will ever see. Great time.

11. What does AP.net mean to you? An obsession. Thanks a lot, haha. Really though, it’s awesome to have a one stop source to up to date news on bands we care about. Admittedly, I haven’t jumped in the community AP has to offer much. I’ve been a member since 2003 and some people who joined last week probably have more posts than I do.

12. What is your favorite song to play? I don’t think we could collectively agree on one song, but a song titled “Ring Face Down” off of our last EP always results in a great crowd sing along during the bridge, which is always awesome to hear.

13. What is your vacation spot of choice? We haven’t been there yet. But it will be a campsite some where in Illinois/Wisconsin. Last year we were going to have a manly man camping adventure but thought of it too late. The plan is to go to a local grocery store and can only spend $10 on whatever we want and it has to fit in our backpack. Then go camping for 4 days. On second thought

14. What music reminds you of your childhood? For myself (Nick) – Third Eye Blind, Nirvana, Metallica, Smashing Pumpkins. My parents were good influences on me.

15. If you could have any super power, what would it be? Why? The power to convince women that yes, they are wrong.

16. Do you feel that your band has "made it"? As far as the music we’ve created I think we feel accomplished and we’re proud of it. The term “made it” would imply bigger and better things to me though. So, no. But hopefully some day.

17. What is something that most fans don't know about you? Despite an “unblemished record of staunch heterosexuality”, it’s not uncommon that gentalia makes an appearance somewhere we go.

19. What do you like to do in your spare time? Work. Record. College. When the weathers good we are an active bunch – basketball, football, soccer, volleyball, badminton, tennis, skateboarding, “hot lava monster”. Tetris all year, haha.

20. What kind of hidden talents do you have? When we all put our rings together one of us proclaims, “ By your powers combined, we are Plan Into Action!”. And rather than make music we fly to a local highway and clean up garbage with unreal efficiency.

1. How did you get your band name?
We got the name Newport…From a pack of cigarettes? From Newport, RI? From a Cute Is What We Aim For Song? We have lots of little excuses :]

2. How did this band get started?
In high school me and the other guitarist had bands and we eventually just combined the two and kicked out a few members from each previous band…..oops

3. What bands are you influenced by?
Absolutely everything from brand new to Damien rice, blink 182 to hellogoodbye, Michael buble to frank Sinatra. Kanye West to Plies. We listen to literally everything and take what we can away from it.

4. If you could tour with any bands, past or present, who would it be and why?
Jack Johnson, Rookie Of The Year, and Anthony Green. That would be a crazy tour.

5. If you were a furry, what animal would you be? Why that animal?
A polar bear.

6. Why should people listen to your band?
Slowly but surely we are developing a new type of sound and feel for the music we play. People seem to be liking it lately. We went to a party a few weeks ago and heard our song playing there. We had no idea how it got there because we didn’t know anyone at the party! [www.myspace.com/wearenewport]

7. If you were chosen to be in Guitar Hero/Rock Band, what song would you want in the game? How hard do you think it would be to five-star on expert?
Probably our new song ‘When It Hits’. It’s a crazy roller coaster of a ride and the song just constantly builds. It probably wouldn’t be that hard. Theres no face melting solos (thank god!!).

8. If you won a Grammy, who would you thank?
Everyone that helped make it possible to even get to that point!

9. If you could change something about the music industry, what would it be?
I’d change it so that bands didn’t have to rely on labels for everything. Labels in the music industry are like politicians in the real world. Theyre corrupt, but people go to them because they have all the money. Unfortunately theyre the lifeline in music and they don’t seem to be doing much good for anyone anymore.

11. What does AP.net mean to you?
It’s a great website! I get all my info on current bands and happenings here!

12. What is your favorite song to play?
Brand New – Untitled 5. It’s a shame they didn’t release their Fight Off Your Demons demos as a real record. I think that was absolutely some of their best work.

13. What is your vacation spot of choice?
Hawaiiiiiiiii. Takes away the stress of everything.

14. What music reminds you of your childhood?
Blink 182. I grew up listening to that stuff.

15. If you could have any super power, what would it be? Why?
Fly. No more bad drivers, thank you very much.

16. Do you feel that your band has "made it"?
Not at all. We’re unknown. No one has heard about us unless you’re a friend of ours or a friend of a friends. It’s a real tight circle.

17. What is something that most fans don't know about you?
We write shitty songs, duhh